A New Microneedle Skin Patch Is Shown to Dissolve Pockets of Fat

A New Microneedle Skin Patch Is Shown to Dissolve Pockets of Fat

If the $60+ billion dollar weight loss industry is any
indication, humans will go to far lengths—trying things both proven and
unproven—to rid their body of unwanted fat. It’s no surprise that over the past
few years, companies have been clamoring to one up each other on noninvasive
fat-reducing technologies to satisfy this never-ending demand. Noninvasive
options are particularly appealing to a wide range of people because it can spot
treat (something even the most rigorous diet and exercise regimen can’t do) and
is easier to tolerate than liposuction.

Now researchers at Columbia Medical Center and the
University of North Carolina have seen promising results from another
noninvasive technology—a skin microneedle patch that can burn stored fat while
revving up the body’s overall metabolism. Researchers explain that humans have
two types of fat: white fat, which stores excess energy in triglyceride
droplets, and brown fat, which are smaller in size and are burned to produce
heat for the body. Baby fat is primarily brown fat, but as they become adults,
most of the brown fat is lost and humans retain the hard-to-lose white fat. To
promote fat burn, a lot of research has been done on how to turn an adult’s
white fat into brown fat—a process they call “browning”—which this new skin
patch has been shown to successfully achieve in mice.

The patch is a roughly one
centimeter-square area that contains dozens of microscopic needles that pierce
the skin and release drugs that promote browning of fat directly to the underlying
tissues. In the studies, mice were given
two patches—one loaded with the drug and one not—and were placed on both sides
of the lower abdomen. For four weeks, new patches were applied every three
days. A control group of mice were given two empty patches. The results showed
that mice treated with the drug showed a 20% reduction in fat on the treated
side and had overall raised metabolism levels as compared to the untreated
mice.

According to the study’s
co-leader, Li Qiang, assistant professor of pathology and cell biology at
Columbia, “There are several clinically available drugs that promote browning,
but all must be given as pills or injections. This exposes the whole body to
the drugs, which can lead to side effects such as stomach upset, weight gain,
and bone fractures. Our skin patch appears to alleviate these complications by
delivering most drugs directly to fat tissue. Many people will no doubt be
excited to learn that we may be able to offer a noninvasive alternative to
liposuction for reducing love handles. What’s much more important is that our
patch may provide a safe and effective means of treating obesity and related
metabolic disorders such as diabetes.”

The patches have not been
tested on people yet as researchers are studying what drugs would work best to
promote browning on the human body. Stay tuned to NewBeauty.com for updates.